Obama hands Clinton funds to hasten unity drive

0 Comments | AFP, June, 2008

WASHINGTON (AFP) — White House contender Barack Obama dug deep into his own pocket Thursday to help out defeated rival Hillary Clinton as the pair met with her top fundraisers as part of an emotional unity drive.

The 30-minute event at Washington's historic Mayflower Hotel took place the evening before the Democratic stars are to seal their reconciliation with a joint rally in the tiny New Hampshire town of Unity.

Obama gave Clinton a personal check for the legal maximum of 2,300 dollars, aides said, to help towards canceling campaign debts of 22.5 million dollars racked up in her ultimately doomed bid for the White House nomination.

Introducing Obama to more than 200 of her leading money people, Clinton lamented that the Democrats had won only three of the...